Graham Potter has praised Tariq Lamptey’s versatility ahead of Brighton’s clash with Liverpool on Saturday.
The 21-year-old has been used on both sides in defensive and attacking positions since joining the Potters from Chelsea in January 2020.
Potter said: “It’s using his attributes as well as we can based on the game we’re going to play.
“Sometimes we’ve used him high and sometimes maybe one of the highest players, the Chelsea game for example, we used him as a wing-back so he pushed on and he’s attacking the back line.
“And ultimately Tariq needs to be doing that, needs to be threatening the opposition defenders, as much as he can. Some games you can do that from right-back, some games from left-back, sometimes from right wing-back, and sometimes you can be a little bit higher.
“The fact that he’s so open-minded and so ready to help the team makes it easy for me. It’s just finding the right solution for him.”
Brighton will still be missing Adam Webster but have midfielders Adam Lallana and Enock Mwepu back available.
Mwepu has not played since early January because of a hamstring injury and illness, and Potter is keen to take things slowly.
“He’s trained this week so that’s really good for him,” said the Seagulls boss. “Obviously we need to look at his minutes and his time on the pitch, but the fact that he’s training with us and involved in the group is great news.”
Brighton are in need of a change in fortune after losing four successive games, so taking on title-chasing Liverpool could appear rather a daunting task.
But the Seagulls only need to look back to the end of October, when they fought back from 2-0 down to draw with Jurgen Klopp’s side, for inspiration.
Potter said: “I think the boys understand the level that they can get to, but the challenge is every game is different, every opposition is different, and part of the challenge is you’ve got to get to that level as much as you can.
“Clearly they’re not robots, they’re human beings, so ups and downs can happen in life and football, but I think that game was a really interesting, really good game.”
